U.S. Stocks Rise As Solid Economic Data Soothe Jitters

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday as investors's sentiment, battered by political uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump, stabilized on a positive reading on jobless claims. Initial jobless claims dropped by 4,000 in the latest week, the second-lowest reading since the beginning of the eight-year-old economic recovery. A rebound in technology stocks also helped to pace the market's gains. The S&P 500 rose 8 points, or 0.4%, to close at 2,365. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 54 points, or 0.3%, to end at 20,661 while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 43 points, or 0.7%, to close at 6,055.